Electric-conductor union.



PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. F. W. SORG. ELECTRIC CONDUCTOR UNION.

APPLIQATION FILED PEB.21, 1905.

I Js/q/To MwW y I MTNESSES I kcmkw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC-CONDUCTOR UNION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

iratented June 12, 1906.

Original applications filed August 1, 1903, Serial No. 167,858, and August 17, 1903, Serial No. 169,676. Divided and this application filed February 21, 1905. Serial No. 246,685.

To aZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. SoRc, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Englewood, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric- Conductor Unions, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the same.

This application is a division and continuation of my patent applications, Serial No. 167,858, filed August 1, 1903, and Serial No. 169,676, filed August 17, 1903, which has become United States Patent No. 784,766, of March 14, 1905.

This invention relates to electric-conductor unions, and relates especially to unions formed of sheet metal and adapted to be twisted about one or more wires inserted therein to form a strong and good electrical contact between them. These torsional unions are preferably formed of resilient sheet metalsuch as copper, brass, or aluminiumand are provid ed with wire-pockets to accommodate wires which can be inserted therein through a lateral wire-inserting slot in the union. Suitable wire-retaining projections are formed on the union adjacent said pockets, so as to engage a wire which has been inserted therein and hold it in position prior to forming the completed rigid joint by twisting the union or in any other way.

In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference-numeral refers to similar parts in the several figures, Figure 1 is a side view showing a completed joint embodying one of these unions. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing one of these unions before the wires are inserted therein. Fig. 3 is a crosssectional view of the same. Fig. 4 is a crosssection of the completed joint embodying this union. Fig. 5 is a cross-section view of another form of union before the wires are inserted. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing another form.

These unions are preferably formed of conducting sheet metalsuch as copper, brass, or aluminium-and may be formed up into the desired shape by stamping, drawing, or otherwise. These unions are preferably shaped so as to provide a plurality of wirepockets (two or any other desired number) to receive the wire, by which of course is meant the ordinary metallic electric conductor in the form of wire, multiple-wire cable, or conducting-strip. The U form of union shown in Figs. 2 and 3 has the wire-pockets 7 and 8, and the wire-retaining projections 5 may be formed adjacent the inner wirepocket 7, these projections being in the form of internal ribs or isolated projections in the resilient material of the union, so that a wire can be readily forced past them into the inner pocket 7 and will thereafter be held in the pocket by these projections. An internallyocated wire-retaining projection 6 may be formed adjacent the free edge of the union 1, so as to hold a wire in the outer wire-pocket 8, and also, if desired, a similar wire-retaining projection 6 may also be formed adjacent the other free edge of the union. In using this U-shaped union a wire 9 is forced into the inner wire-pocket 7 and then another wire 10, which it is desired to electrically connect with the first, is forced into the outer wire-pocket. The free edges of the union at the ends are then slightly compressed around the wires, the two ends of the union are engaged by suitable pliers, and the whole is twisted into the complete joint shown in Fi 1. By this operation the free edges of t e union are drawn together and the two wires are forcibly brought into contact, so as to form good electrical connection directly between their adjacent surfaces, and also the wires make extremely good electrical contact with the internal surfaces of the union itself. The free edges of the union lap over each other, as indicated in Fig. 4, and effectually exclude moisture and other influences which might injure the joint.

A 3-shaped union 2 is shown in Fig. 5. This union being formed of similar material is rovided with the wire-pockets 11 and 12 an has a wire-retaining projection 13 between these two pockets, and also the wire-retaining proj ections 14 are formed on the union adjacent the free edges of the same. The edges of the union are in this case given a circumferential form around the two pockets and are adapted to cooperate with two wires inserted through the open lateral slot into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. This union is twisted in a manner similar to what has been described and forces the two wires ii: a i A firmly into contact with each other and with the inner faces of the union.

Another 3-shaped union is shown in Fig. 6. This union 3 is formed with the wire-pockets 11 and 12, and the internal wire-retaining joint is made by using this formof the union in the same way as has been described.

It is of course understood that those familiar with this art may make many variations in the number, size, proportion, and material of the parts of this device. Furthermore, parts of the same may be omitted, and parts may be used in connection with other devices without departing from the spirit of this invention or losing the advantages of the same. I do not, therefore, desire to be limited to the gisclosure which has been made in this case;

What is claimed as new, and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is set forth in the appended claims:

1. A torsional electric union formed with wire-pockets and with resilient wire-retain- ,ing projections adjacent said pockets to hold wires inserted therein, there being open lateral wire-inserting slots in said union.

2. A torsional electric union formed of resilient sheet metal and provided with an open lateral wire-inserting slot, said union being provided with a wire-retaining projection adjacent said slot to hold wires inserted therein, the surfaces of the wires themselves being .foroed into electrical contact on twisting said union. I

3. An electric union formed of resilient sheet metal to provide a plurality of wire-pocketsv provided with wire-retaining projections, ad,

projections adjacent said pockets to hold wires inserted therein.

5. A torsional electric union formed of 3- shaped section to provide wire-pockets and having resilient wire-retaining projections adj acent said pockets to hold wires inserted therein, there being an open lateral wire-inserting slot in said union.

6. A torsional electric union formed of sheet metal of 3-shaped section to provide a plurality of Wire-pockets adapted to hold wires with their surfaces in contact, there being an open wire-inserting slot in said union.

7. A torsional electric union formed in one piece and having two contiguous laterallyopen pockets and a single inverted-V-shaped medial wire-retaining projection extending between said pockets nearly up to the line of contiguity of the same.

8. A torsional electric union having two contiguous longitudinal laterally-open pockets, the exterior sides of which are adapted to be bent over to inclose wires lying in contact therein and a single inverted-V-shaped medial wire-retaining projection extending nearly to the line of contiguity of said pockets.

9. A torsional electric union formed in one piece and having two contiguous laterallyopen pockets tangent to each other and provided with an inverted-V-shaped medial projection extending nearly to the line of tangency of said pockets.

10. A torsional electric union having two contiguous laterally-open pockets adapted to maintain wires in tangential contact therein and having a single inverted-V-shaped medial projection extending nearly to the line 0 contact of said pockets.

11. A torsional electric union having two contiguous longitudinal laterally-open pockets of substantially circular cross-section, the

exterior sides of which are adapted to be oppositely bent over so as to meet and form channels of circular cross-section and a single inverted-V-shaped medial projection extending nearly to the line of contiguity of said pockets.

FREDERICK W. SORG.

Witnesses:

HARRY L. DUNCAN, JnssIE B. KAY. 

